Washington, DC
U.S. Capitol

Congressional leaders planted an Anne Frank Memorial Tree on the West
Front Lawn of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, April 30. The dedication
took place at 3:00 pm at the National Statuary Hall of the United States
Capitol. The event was hosted by Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), Senate
Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Senate Republican Leader Mitch
McConnell (R-KY), and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).

More than any other building, The U.S. Capitol captures the American
ideals of freedom and democracy. Home to both houses of Congress, the
building has been at the heart of landmark legislation promoting
tolerance and equality – including the 13thAmendment, which outlawed
slavery; the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote; and the
Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed discrimination based on race,
color, religion, sex, or national origin. As such, the building is a
constant visual reminder that the country is not run by any one dictator
or tyrant, but by and for the people.

Unsurprisingly, then, it is also the American people’s pulpit of
sorts. In its front yard – The National Mall – millions have protested
against various injustices, the most memorable gathering being the March
on Washington in 1963, at which Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous
“I Have a Dream” speech. At other times, people from all over the
country have come together here to champion for women’s rights and speak
out against the wars in Vietnam and Iraq.

Last but not least, the Capitol can be viewed as a living monument to
the future of democracy, hosting presidential inaugurations every four
years and also providing a space for the general public to pay respects
to many former presidents, senators, as well as public heroes – like the
civil rights icon Rosa Parks – who have all lain in state at the
building. As a symbolic message of hope and justice, Anne’s tree is
well at home on its grounds.